Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary was on 29 December 2015 selected for the 51st Jnanpith award for his contribution to the Indian literature.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by noted scholar Namwar Singh. Other members of the selection board are Shamim Hanfi, Harish Trivedi, Suranjan Das, Ramakant Rath, Chandrakant Patil, Alok Rai, Dinesh Misra and Leeladhar Mandloi.

About Raghuveer Chaudhary
• Born in 1938 in Gujarat, Raghuveer Chaudhary is a novelist, poet, critic, a prominent figure on contemporary Gujarati literary scene and a Gandhian.
• His talent has been influenced by works of Govardhanram Tripathi, Kaka Kalelkar, Suresh Joshi, Prof Ramdarash Mishra and Prof GN Dickey.
• He authored more than 80 books and some of his notable novels include Amrita, Venu Vatsala, Purvarang and Laagni Samjyaa Vinaa Chuuta Padvanu.
• He also had worked as a columnist for numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka and Divya Bhaskar.
• He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998.
• He has received numerous awards including Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Trilogy Uparvaas in 1977.

About Jnanpith Award
• Jnanpith award is one of the prestigious literary awards in India. The name of award is taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat.
• The award was instituted in 1961 and is presented by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family.
• The award is given to any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India.
• The award includes cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.